Life line



Jan. 18, 1949. SCHULTZ 2,459,545

LIFE LINE Filed April 5, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ,4zrHuZ/5.Sam/1. 72

Jan. 18, 1949. A, B. SCHULTZ LIFE LINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5,1946 INVENTOR. 4277408 5., 5CHULTZ Jan. 18, 1949. A. B. scHULTZ LIFELINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 5, 1946 INVENTOR. fizz/"Hu 5. SCHULTZS Ar TOZA/Ef Patented Jan. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics LIFELINE Arthur B. Selmltl. Wilmington, DeL, assigno'r to All AmericanAirways, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application April 5, 1946,Serial No. 859,779

2 Claims. (CL 227-49) on the particular Job. The other end is secured tothe person of the worker as by being afhxed to a belt which encirclesthe worker. Due to the fact that it is necessary for the worker to moveabout, there must be an appreciable amount of slack in the life line.Thus, when a scaffold gives way, the harness breaks, or the worker slipsfrom the support on which he is working he fails an appreciable distancebecause of this slack in the line. Due to gravity action, the worker'sbody is accelerated to a rate of speed so noticeable that when the lifeline becomes taut he is brought to a stop with a severe jerk whichoftenresults in serious injury to the worker.

With the foregoing conditions in mind, this invention has in view as itsforemost objective the provision of a life line including means forgradually absorbing the shock of a fall and decelerating the worker'sbody in a gradual manner. In carrying out this idea in a practicalembodiment it is important to avoid the use of any shock absorbingmechanism which will react or recoil and thereby increase the likelihoodof injury to the worker. Following this theory, such devices as metallicsprings, rubber shock cord, and similar mechanisms which react with asling-shot action are ruled out.

Atthe present time, there is known and available to the public certainsynthetic plastic fibers which intheir undrawn state are susceptible ofbeing drawn and while so drawing absorb energy. Moreover, this drawingis permanent and is not accompanied by any reaction, recoil, or rebound.Among such synthetic plastic fibers might be noted undrawn nylon,polyethylene, Vinyon, and Vinylite.

Accordingly a further object of the invention is the provision of a lifeline of the character aforesaid which includes a length or section ofundrawn synthetic plastic fiber which is susceptible of being drawn andwhile drawing absorb energy. with such a life line properly secured atone end to an anchorage on the building structure and the other endafilxed to the worker with the usual amount of slack, the worker mayfall. However, rather than being brought to a stop with a sudden jerk,as the line becomes .taut the undrawn synthetic plastic fibers elongateand gradually deceleratethe workers body until it is brought to a stop.Thus, likelihood of personal injury to the worker is greatly minimizedit not completely obviated.

Various other more detailed objects and advantages of the invention suchas arise in connection with carrying out the above noted ideas .in apractical embodiment will in part become apparent and in part behereinafter stated as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention therefore comprises, a life line including a length orsection made from undrawn synthetic plastic fibers which have theability to draw and while drawing absorb energy.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention referencemay be had to the following description and accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a life line made in accordance withthe precepts of this invention and shown as attached to a body strap orbelt.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detailed view showing a portion of a sectionmade from undrawn synthetic plastic fibers with parts broken away.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a building with a scafiold supportedtherefrom and showing one mode of usage of the life line, and

Figure 4 is another perspective view illustrating the mode of usage by astructural steel worker.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding, parts and first more particularly to Figure 1, a lifeline which is made following the teachings of this invention is thereindepicted and referred to in its entirety by the reference character L.The life line L comprises a main body section i0 which may be made fromany non-elastic material having the required tensile strength. Among thematerials from which the body section III may be made are noted: steelcable, cotton cable, hemp or flax rope, or any other materials commonlyemployed to make rope and cables or any combination thereof.

The life line L also includes a second section I I which is identifiedas being the drawable section. Drawable section II may be made from anysynthetic plastic fiber which in its undrawn condition is susceptible ofbeing drawn and while drawing absorb energy. Among such materials arenoted: undrawn nylon, polyethylene, Vinyon and Vinylite. For thepurposes of this specification, un-

drawn nylon may be taken as the preferred material to be used in makingsection II. It is now well established that undrawn nylon is capable ofelongating to the extent of at least two-hundred percent and while soelongating absorb an appreciable amount of energy.

In order to preserve the undrawn synthetic plastic flber in its drawablecondition so as to provide the best safety factor possible, thesynthetic plastic fibers should be treated with a proper solution tomaintain this condition. Treatments which will serve this purpose arefully set forth in the applications of Herbert E. Rose, Serial Numbers589,708, filed April 21, 1945, now abandoned, and 633,551, filedDecember 7, 1945, now Patent No. 2,441,209, May 11, 1948, respectively.

In order to make sure that the treatment remains in the fibers it isbelieved to be the better practice to enclose the section II in anencasing sheath as shown at i2 in Figure 2. This sheath l2 precludes thepossibility of the treatment drying out from the fibers.

The sections In and l I may be connected in any suitable manner. Asillustrated in Figure 1, section I is formed with a terminal loop I!which interlocks with a terminal loop H on the section II. The lattersection is formed at its other end with another terminal loop i5 whichserves as a means of connection to a snap fastener shown at I6. The snapfastener I8 is suceptible of being attached to just about any typeofbody harness. One example of such a body harness is shown in the form ofthe abdominal belt I'I illustrated in Figure 1. Belts such as this arenow commonly employed by construction workers and others engaged insimilar hazardous occupations and are used with the heretofore knownlife lines. The present invention contemplates the use of the new lifeline with any of the abdominal belts or harnesses now employed.

As illustrated in Figure 1 the belt ll includes a bracket l8 whichcarries a ring l9. This ring I9 is adapted to have the snap fastener l6engage therewith in a well-known and obvious manner as illustrated.

The free end of the section i0 is also formed with a terminal loop 20 towhich is secured another snap fastener 2|.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 3, one mode of usage for thelife line hereinbefore described will now be outlined. A building isrepresented at B and is shown as having the usual parapet 2|. A scaffold22 is supported from the parapet 2| by grapples 23 and lines 24. Aworker shown at W wears the abdominal belt II to which the life line Lis attached in the manner described. In order to provide an anchoragefor the other end of the life line L a grapple 25 may be employed andthe snap fastener 2| is suitably secured to this grapple. It will benoted that there is sufficient slack in the line L for the worker W tomove about in performing his assigned tasks. Should the scaffold or anyof its supports fail for any reason or should the worker W fall off thescaffold, he will descend under gravity action until such time as theline L become taut. However, rather than being brought abruptly to astop with a jerk which might prove injurious, the

this drawing is a permanent one not accompanied by any rebound whichmight cause injury to the worker. The dotted line image of Figure 3illus-. trates the position of the worker after the fall.

Figure 4 illustrates a slightly different mode of usage wherein thestructure on which the worker is engaged presents a suitable anchoragewhich is susceptible of being encircled by the section III. The steelstructure illustrated includes numerous horizontal beams 26 any one ofwhich is adapted to have the section III pass thereabout and the snapfastener 2i secured to the line itself so as to form an anchoring loopdesignated 21. The mode of operation is otherwise the same as that abovedescribed. Should the worker fall from his normal position, the lifeline L first becomes taut, whereupon the section II begins to draw andgradually brings him to a stop without injury. While preferred specificembodiments of the invention are hereinbefore set forth, it is to besection, a section made from undrawn synthetic plastic fibers joined tosaid first section, fastening means at the free end of said section ofundrawn synthetic plastic fibers and means adapted to be worn by aperson coupled with said last-named fastening means, whereby when saidfirst-named fastening means is secured to a support and the weight ofsaid person is applied to the line, said undrawn fibers elongatepermanently and while so elongating absorb energy and serve as a shockabsorber.

2. In a lifeline of the'character described, a section of treatedundrawn synthetic plastic fibers in rope-like form, and a sheathenclosing said section to preserve the efficiency and durability of thedrawing properties of said treated fibers.

ARTHUR B. SCHULTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 207,419 Hunt Aug. 27, 1878675,453 Sturgess June 4, 1901 1,511,704 Buck Oct. 14, 1924 1,899,162Lackner Feb. 28, 1933 2,130,948 Carothers Sept. 20, 1938 2,302,642Deike, Jr Nov. 17, 1942 2,343,892 Dodge et al. Mar. 14, 1944 2,407,634DuPont Sept. 17, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 30,865 FranceJune 26, 1922 (5th addition patent to 553,653)

